Yet another analyst is predicting a gangbuster debut for the iPhone 4. Next week’s iPhone 4 launch could be a “2 mln – 3 mln iPhone event,” according to Susquehanna Financial’s Jeff Fidacaro. In a note to investors, the analyst said Apple could sell up to three times as many units compared to the 2008 launch of the iPhone 3G or the 2009 launch of the iPhone 3GS.
Fidacaro’s expectation is based on Apple’s announcement the Cupertino, Calif. company sold 600,000 iPhone 4s on the first day of pre-sales and what many believe will be a strong rush to upgrade existing iPhones – particularly iPhone 3G owners.
As a result, the analyst increased his third-quarter iPhone sales numbers to 9.4 million devices, a dramatic increase over his previous 7.8 million projection. Likewise, Fidarco also raised his projection for Apple’s iPhone sales during 2010 to 46.7 million, up from 36.8 million.
He also boosted Apple’s price target to $335, up from $325 and the same day the Cupertino, Calif. firm’s stock hit an intraday high of $275 per share.
Thursday, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty told investors she expects the iPhone to have an installed base of 100 million units by 2011 and more than 50 percent of current iPhone owners will upgrade to the latest version. Such a prediction would result in 48 million handsets sold. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster also weighed-in on the iPhone 4 this week, predicting the company would sell 9.5 million handsets during the financial June quarter.
[via Fortune]
